Noooo!
The coffee machine has finally Spat The Dummy! Dead. Nothing but Sad. No delicious foamy coffee.
So it is plunger coffee for us this morning. We were hoping that the espresso machine would last until Christmas then Our John and I were going to go halvies on the cost of a new one.
Coffee is so NOT part of a sustainable lifestyle – yet – as they say – here we are.
Good morning!
I did not get back from MiL’s house (if I don’t sit with her she simply does not eat) until it was almost dark yesterday evening so all our images are using the last of the light.
I extended the white chickens run again yesterday so they could get into some new green grass.
They were suitably impressed.
I love how these layers nestle into the side of the building. They eschew the long empty roosts for these warm corners. This winter I will order another batch of layers for the spring. The lead time for chicks now is months long. But we are getting very few eggs from these old girls and the pigs love their eggs for breakfast. As do I!
Of course the pigs used to eat the duck eggs but the mystery of the missing ducks has never been solved.
My Dad used to say “Where there is light there is a picture”.
Substack
The 10 minute Farmy Soundscape is taking off! Easy for me to make and, though it is usually for the Paid Subscribers, I like to share some with my regular readers too. I appreciate you all.
Here is yesterday’s 10 minute Farmy Soundscape. Free to all. We are finding that these are a lovely accompaniment to the wind down of your day. (Or dishes!). (Or yoga- stretches). (What else?).
These little windows are all about what happens when I am not close by. I love the sparrows in this one!
It is called Tima and her Chickens.
I would love you to consider sharing my SubStack link. Or/and subscribing- it is a wonderful way to support both my writing and the pigs. And today I will record this week’s podcast which is still free for all!
Now. Coffee. The plunger coffee is just not strong enough. Sigh. What’s your favourite way to make coffee. What is your favourite drink in the morning – after your water of course! (Shower on the Inside). I might have to switch to tea until Christmas!
The Sustainable Home Newsletter
Melanie has set up the Sign Up form for The Sustainable Home MONTHLY newsletter. Feel free to give it a spin and let me know how it works. And if I get a notification. (See below in the footer area). If you already signed up over at the other website I have you on the list already.
Melanie and I will begin the tidy up over at the other website shortly. I will let you know when we are done. To begin I am changing its name back to The Sustainable Home. One of the very best things about being human is the ability to change our minds and, admit to, then fix our errors. I made a few mistakes over there and will be fixing them. The first one being the name.
Have a lovely day!
And thank you so much for your support! You all quite simply are my fuel. You keep me going!
Since 2011!! Wow!
Celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
30 responses to “Fatality in the Kitchen”
I panicked when I read your headline! But a dead coffee machine is something to panic over, isn’t it? We use a Cuisinart electric drip machine and make it very strong. The only time I like tea is on a cold winter afternoon so changing over to that in the morning would not work for me. Sorry about your loss. 🙂
I panicked this morning too. I feel a bit of a headache brewing too!
Isn’t it just the worst when you find a thing so broken there is no hope to fix it and then the horror at what new will cost… I am sad for you and John this morning.
I have come to doing pour over coffee and usually use french roast as I want my coffee to taste like coffee. Just the simple ceramic holder for coffee, sitting directly on the cup so simple wash and done as well, grounds go in compost with the filter and while not “the best coffee ever” it is decent and suits my needs.
I popped over to the other website as well. I can see changes I think, and a very neatly organized set up. I am likely still subscribed to the newsletter, perhaps multiple times actually, with all those odd failed trials trying to get things to work.
That fiasco at the other website did my head in. I am approaching with caution!! I have never had pour over coffee – do you use washable filters?
No, although those are available. I wasn’t even sure I would like this method so I started with the ceramic and am using up a supply of paper filters that I had already, which go directly with grounds into the compost. They do make washable filters however so I know at some point I will break this ceramic (because I have almost done that a number of times already) and will go with a stainless steel type in its place. I am telling myself that I can then take the hammer to the rest of the ceramic and put it at the bottom of a plant pot for drainage…;)
Twice, I bought an expensive coffee machine that died suspiciously soon after the warranty ran out. After the second one, I went back to pour over. I use a Melitta ceramic funnel over a thermos carafe and make sure the beans are ground for espresso. I love it strong and use 1 scoop (which I think is 3 tbsp) for every 6 oz unless the coffee isn’t ground fine enough…No chance of a machine breakdown, but it isn’t programmable for morning. I’ve gotten used to that, though!
That sounds great! Do you grind your own beans? We had a lovely little espresso machine that steamed the milk as well. It must be about 5 years old now. So into k we had a good run.
I have a grinder, but most of the time I buy my coffee at a grocery store where you can pick your beans and grind them yourself. It’s easier than grinding every morning!
Fatalities in the kitchen 2.0 – Currently, we are enjoying our press plunger coffee. Months ago, our old Keurig bit the dust. We never bought the little pods of coffee. Instead, we used a reusable cup. But, the machine quit. So, I took it all apart and recycled all the plastic parts. We replaced it with a 5 cup Mr. Coffee that was in a cupboard. One evening as we were heading for bed, I set up the Mr. C for the next morning with a filter and grounds. The last part was to pour water into the reservoir. As I did, water started running out the bottom. I grabbed the maker and headed quickly for the sink. The short power cord was plugged in and jerked the maker our of my hands. It fell hard on the edge of the granite counter breaking the carafe and spilling wet grounds and glass all over the floor. We actually got a good laugh out of it as we compared the mess to the one when a red wine bottle tipped and broke on the granite. We are happy now with our press coffee.
I drink green tea every morning, brewed in a teapot, not a mug. We have a French press, which I like. But we seldom drink coffee at home as we go out for coffee just about every day. Usually after taking the dogs for a walk on the beach. A nice Coffee Bar overlooks the beach with inexpensive and very good coffee, that we frequent. The owners love the dogs and always have treats for them (Today it was bits of roasted chicken!) Being retired is not so bad, as long as you have a dog or two.
I have a simple cheap drip filter machine which has a timer, so I can set it to start itself if necessary. But we don’t often use it, because I like the beans freshly ground right then, not ground last night or whatever. We buy two different coffee beans and blend our own, and I grind just what we use right then, and the beans live in airtight glass jars. We actually live in coffee growing country, although I find the local product too floral and acid and a bit gutless. I have a small separate milk heater/frother for the first cup of the morning, the rest of the day it’s just flat whites. No more than two cups a day, before lunch, or I can’t sleep.
Oh dear, sorry for your loss! At least you had a back up! My morning drinks consist of the following; large water with lemon juice, followed by a concoction of honey, lemon, cinnamon, cayenne, fresh ginger and hot water to kick start metabolism. Lastly I have a beautiful chai latte with foamed almond or oat milk with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top. Quite decadent but I am not a coffee person. My partner has the same but a black coffee instead of chai made in a a Kurig with reusable filter cups. I don’t think anyone in the farms community would admit (or buy for that matter) to using the Kurig cups that are sold with the coffee in them!
A dead coffee machine always brings a shock and panic but is easily solved. I agree with you about the very human ability to change our minds and we are lucky for that. Life is fluid and ever changing and so are we.
Yes!! One of my best skills is to roll with it!! You too I think!
yes, me too, you read me right )
I drink strong worker’s tea when I get up – Barry’s Gold Blend, from Cork.
A large mug of very strong black coffee comes after lunch, brewed in an old Italian cafatiere …and on holidays it’s a carajillo de coñac 😉
You are my brother from another mother! Just sayin’!
ROFL!
I am sorry for your loss! My morning coffee is a necessity. I bought a Chemex about a decade ago, and we make our coffee as a pour over. Doing so brings out great flavor in even the inexpensive beans. It’s a peaceful morning ritual that we enjoy.
I am going to have to look deeply into the pour over as an option! Peaceful works for me!!
Fatality in the kitchen! I’m thinking “What’s happened?” Oh, right, coffee machine lol. Living off grid with limited power it’s plunger coffee for me. I usually drink green tea when I get up, nice and refreshing with lemon. Do you grow herbs for tea making? Mint, Fennel and Lemon Balm are all really nice to grow and drink.
I used to have lemon balm but you are right! I should be drying them for tea. Especially mint. I am back on the green tea on the morning too now and in fact I don’t even miss the coffee. It only took two days for me to be over it!
I had to look up spat the dummy. I love this expression! Hey, I learned something.
Meanwhile drink tea – better anyway.
Yes. Less chemical load in tea. I found that I was over coffee super fast. Weird right?
I drink tea, very strong, black, femented tea…puerr. My husband does a pour over decaf. You can buy a reusable filter, they call them gold filters. But we use paper ones that go into the worm bin with the grounds. Peet’s coffee is very dark and strong, delicious.
Those unbleached paper filters are fine in the compost or the worm bin. I think I B would like to have worms again!
I love my worms, they really enrich the soil in my raised beds where I grow vegetables. Although my garden is tiny compared to yours.
Where there is light there sure is a picture! Sorry to hear about the coffee machine … I would be very unhappy
I was very unhappy all better now, though I went to tea
I always start the day with tea .. then it’s bring on the coffee 😊